Father's status remains guarded

A father suspected of killing his family Monday has remained nonresponsive at Rogue Valley Medical Center and is on a mechanical ventilator to keep his lungs working.

By DAMIAN MANN

A father suspected of killing his family Monday has remained nonresponsive at Rogue Valley Medical Center and is on a mechanical ventilator to keep his lungs working.

"We are closely monitoring his neurological status," said Tamara Dixon, a nurse practitioner with the intensive care staff. "He remains nonresponsive. He is receiving mechanical ventilation."

Police suspect Jordan Criado stabbed his wife and four young children Monday, then set the house at 1027 W. Medford St. on fire and remained inside. Firefighters and police worked for 45 minutes to try to revive the victims before they were taken to local hospitals, where the mother and children were pronounced dead an hour and a half later.

Earlier reports that Criado was placed in a medically induced coma are incorrect, Dixon said.

She said Criado suffers from carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning as well as a laceration to his left wrist. Carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning compete with oxygen in the bloodstream, she said.

Dixon said patients who suffer from this type of poisoning exhibit symptoms ranging from confusion to a comatose state. She declined to say whether Criado is in a coma, only that he is nonresponsive.

He doesn't have any significant burns on his body, Dixon said.

His lungs appear capable of working, because they don't have the kind of heat injuries some patients receive in fires.

Dixon said the patient's nonresponsive status requires the use of a mechanical ventilator.

She said she wouldn't speculate on Criado's prognosis, saying a person's ability to regain consciousness can vary from patient to patient.

"It's not easy to predict the brain," she said. "We can't predict if he will or he won't."

RVMC is providing Criado with all the medical resources it has available.